Posts Tagged ‘Triple Crown’

Once again there will be no Triple Crown winner in horse racing this year. Big Brown not only failed to win the Belmont Stakes but he became the biggest loser in horse racing history Saturday. America’s new favorite horse not only lost the race but finished DEAD LAST. 38-1 longshot Da’ Tara won the race.

Ten different horses had failed on the third leg of racing’s Triple Crown since Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1978. None of those horses failed as spectacularly as Big Brown.

Although other horses had won the first two Triple Crown races before, this time it felt different. Expectations were HUGE. Big Brown was EXPECTED to win the race. After all, his own trainer called Big Brown’s Triple Crown victory “a foregone conclusion.” Experts were predicting stud fees of $100,000 a shot (literally) if Big Brown won this race. Let’s not forget this was the first horse ever with his own Hooters contract.

Following the race jockey Ken Desormeaux threw his horse under the bus.

“I had no horse,” said Desormeaux following the race.

The horse’s owner was looking to place the blame elsewhere. Facing the media after the race, he said the last place finish was “not the horse’s fault.” Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. had been drawing criticism for his handling of the horse all week. As beloved as Big Brown was by the racing public, Dutrow was equally despised.

Facing a possible HUGE payday with a Belmont win and the certain immortality that would come with horse racing’s first Triple Crown victory in 30 years, Dutrow decided to run Big Brown in the Belmont despite the horse having a cracked hoof. Dutrow has also had a sordid history with performance enhancing drugs in the horse racing industry.

Big Brown is without a doubt the most popular sports figure EVER that has used steroids. He also used the blood thinner Lasix throughout his career. Those drugs are not banned at ALL racetracks and it’s not like the horse can shoot HIMSELF up with drugs. But, obviously many in the media had no trouble blasting the acerbic, unlikable Dutrow following the race.